The American Civil War discussion

Are there any books focusing on the war in Virginia after the Gettysburg campaign ends with Lee escaping across the Potomac until Grant arrives to start the Overland Campaign?

The maneuvering and minor clashes during that time period like Bristoe and Mine Run seem ignored because they didn't lead to a major battle. If I'm calculating right, the period between Gettysburg and Wilderness is the longest period of the war after in which the Army Of The Potomac and the Army Of Northern Virginia did not meet in any major battle (10 months battle to battle; more like 7-8 when you remove the slow pursuit of Lee back to the Potomac and the prep for the Overland campaign after Grant arrived). After the beginning of the Peninsular Campaign, the longest gap was 4 months between Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville which stemmed in a large part from Hooker having to overhaul the condition and morale of his army. The only comparable gap was July 1861 to March 1862 (Bull Run to Peninsular Campaign), during which the Army of the Potomac had to be built up and trained.

Hi Josh,

Here are two books that I know of that cover at least the retreat from Gettysburg and some of the fighting during that period but I don't think they go as far as you want.

by Kent Masterson Brown
Description:
In a groundbreaking, comprehensive history of the Army of Northern Virginia's retreat from Gettysburg in July 1863, Kent Masterson Brown draws on previously untapped sources to chronicle the massive effort of General Robert E. Lee and his command as they sought to move people, equipment, and scavenged supplies through hostile territory and plan the army's next moves.

More than fifty-seven miles of wagon and ambulance trains and tens of thousands of livestock accompanied the army back to Virginia. The movement of troops and supplies over the challenging terrain of mountain passes and despite the adverse conditions of driving rain and muddy quagmires is carefully described, as are General George G. Meade's attempts to attack the trains along the South Mountain range and at Hagerstown and Williamsport, Maryland. Lee's deliberate pace, skillful use of terrain, and constant positioning of the army behind defenses so as to invite attack caused Union forces to delay their own movements at critical times.

Brown concludes that even though the battle of Gettysburg was a defeat for the Army of Northern Virginia, Lee's successful retreat maintained the balance of power in the eastern theater and left his army with enough forage, stores, and fresh meat to ensure its continued existence as an effective force.

Reviews:
Review
"Brown's Retreat from Gettysburg is a tour de force in Civil War writing. . . . With Brown you get the real deal." - America's Civil War

"Brown has broken new ground here in spectacular fashion." - Roanoke Times

"Kent Brown offers a compelling story that heretofore has received only limited attention. - Washington Times

"Retreat from Gettysburg tells us new things and gives us new ways of seeing familiar events." - Chronicles

"This remarkable book deserves the highest of recommendations." - North & South

by Eric J. Wittenberg
Description:
The three-day Battle of Gettysburg left 50,000 casualties in its wake, a battered Southern army far from its base of supplies, and a rich historiographic legacy. Thousands of books and articles cover nearly every aspect of the battle, but not a single volume focuses on the military aspects of the important movements of the armies to and across the Potomac River. Now in paperback, One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 is the first detailed military history of Lee's retreat and the Union effort to destroy the wounded Army of Northern Virginia.

Against steep odds and encumbered with thousands of casualties, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee's post-battle task was to successfully withdraw his army across the Potomac River. Union commander George G. Meade's equally difficult assignment was to intercept the effort and destroy his enemy. The responsibility for defending the exposed Southern columns belonged to cavalry chieftain James Ewell Brown (Jeb) Stuart. If Stuart fumbled his famous ride north to Gettysburg, his generalship during the retreat more than redeemed his flagging reputation.

The long retreat triggered nearly two dozen skirmishes and major engagements, including fighting at Granite Hill, Monterey Pass, Hagerstown, Williamsport, Funkstown, Boonsboro, and Falling Waters. President Abraham Lincoln was thankful for the early July battlefield victory, but disappointed that General Meade was unable to surround and crush the Confederates before they found safety on the far side of the Potomac. Exactly what Meade did to try to intercept the fleeing Confederates, and how the Southerners managed to defend their army and ponderous 17-mile long wagon train of wounded until crossing into western Virginia on the early morning of July 14, is the subject of this study.

One Continuous Fight draws upon a massive array of documents, letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, and published primary and secondary sources. These long ignored foundational sources allow the authors, each widely known for their expertise in Civil War cavalry operations, to carefully describe each engagement. The result is a rich and comprehensive study loaded with incisive tactical commentary, new perspectives on the strategic role of the Southern and Northern cavalry, and fresh insights on every engagement, large and small, fought during the retreat.

The retreat from Gettysburg was so punctuated with fighting that a soldier felt compelled to describe it as "One Continuous Fight." Until now, few students fully realized the accuracy of that description. Complete with 18 original maps, dozens of photos, and a complete driving tour with GPS coordinates of the army's retreat and the route of the wagon train of wounded, One Continuous Fight is an essential book for every student of the American Civil War in general, and for the student of Gettysburg in particular.

Reviews:
"...an excellent military history of the fighting following Gettysburg and the problems in the pursuit" - Civil War Courier

"...most likely the definitive book covering the battles and skirmishes with all the major players associated with the time period... One can't help but enjoy the well done narrative with such fine, thorough detail." - Reviewer's Bookwatch

"This is entertaining, thoughtful, and well-presented history, and is a fitting tribute to the soldiers of both armies. [One Continuous Fight] is probably the most original, complete, and exciting history of this frequently overlooked period of the Civil War." -William D. Bushnell, USMC Col. (Ret.), Civil War Book Review

I've read One Continous Fight, and I thought it was well worth reading. most books I've read barely touch on the retreat from Gettysburg. however, it doesn't really cover the period once the Potomac was crossed.

Here is a review of a new book on this topic, that covers the period after Lee crossed the Potomac until the rival armies returned to the Rappahannock two weeks later. Fascinating and never before covered period.

http://cwba.blogspot.com/2017/07/revi...

Meade and Lee After Gettysburg: From Falling Waters to Culpeper Court House, July 1863

Might be a book I need to get for my library :)

I think you will find it very interesting. A lot went on during those two weeks. The Gettysburg Campaign was by no means over and there was a real chance for another major battle. The chess match between Meade and Lee is fascinating and there was a good deal of hard marching and sharp fighting.

I'll put it on my birthday wish list!

Jeffrey Hunt has now added a couple of books in this series, which all are on my tbr list:

by Jeffrey Wm Hunt

Plus he has one more final volume to finish off the series (I think).

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Plus he has one more final volume to finish off the series (I think)."

Great, I look forward to it.

I will have to start reading the first volume sometime soon. I have so many series to complete, just waiting for the final volumes to be published on books covering Antietam, Petersburg and Chickamauga.